This one is called Diablo and it has no fenders, a dubious seat and trials tires—but it’s just so damn cool. And no, it’s not another BMW; it’s an early-80s 750cc Ural boxer knockoff.

K-Speed’s primary business is parts and accessories. They’re based in Bangkok, but have branches all over Thailand. With their ears close to the ground, they spotted this Ural in a junkyard in the northern eastern region—incomplete, but still plated.

“We wanted to buy it because of the boxer engine,” they tell us. “We tried to start the engine—and luckily it worked! But at that time our garage had a lot of jobs to do, so we left the Ural for three months.”

“We got the bike very cheap, and we set the budget for customizing at 50,000 Baht (about $1,400). That made it very challenging for us.”

K-Speed started at the back, lopping off the subframe in favor of a gusseted, single tube support to hold the solo perch. An off-the-shelf taillight is neatly tucked into the end.

The fuel tank’s an old Kawasaki TL unit, found at a second hand market. And the handlebars are second-hand too—fitted with Biltwell Inc. grips, and new controls and switches.

This particular Ural came with an Earle’s-style leading link front end—a rare feature that K-Speed wanted to keep. So they simply upgraded the suspension, fitting shorter YSS shocks at both ends to lower the bike.

While the bike’s lacking in gauges or turn signals, it does have a headlight: a modded spotlight retrieved from the garden of K-Speed’s boss, Eak…

The engine, carbs and airbox have mostly been left stock, but K-Speed have added a new set of mufflers. And they’ve refinished everything in black, with select fins polished to add some contrast.

Even the wheels received the two-tone treatment, before they were wrapped in vintage 19” trials tires.

You might think the fuel tank is too small, the seat is too thin, the bike is too low or the tires are too silly. But we think K-Speed’s Ural is pure punk rock—and a reminder of why we got into custom bikes in the first place.

]]>http://www.bikeexif.com/ural-custom-motorcycle/feed0The Yamando: A vintage Yamaha racer with a Norton framehttp://www.bikeexif.com/vintage-yamaha-race-bike
http://www.bikeexif.com/vintage-yamaha-race-bike#respondTue, 06 Dec 2016 17:01:01 +0000http://www.bikeexif.com/?p=25475
Brad Monk is a racer. Sure, he has a day job, but come Sunday, he’s a racer—and this is his race bike.

Trying to figure out what it is? We can help: it’s a ‘Yamando’; part Yamaha XS650, part Norton Commando. Or, as Brad puts it, “the best of both worlds.”

If you’re wondering if the combo is effective, it most certainly is. In Canada’s vintage road racing Heavyweight class, Brad took home the overall title this year. And the Yamando’s had success Stateside too.

The builder—or should we say engineering genius—of this mad machine is retired racer Toivo Madrus. Tovio co-owns the bike with Brad, and has been fine tuning and rebuilding this beast for literally years.

“The Yamando MK V wasn’t born overnight,” says Brad. “It’s actually the culmination of four previous versions, each one improving on engine angle and position, and engine performance that started at around 65HP, to what is now over 80HP.”

Yamaha and Norton seem an unlikely pairing (we’re more used to seeing vintage Triumphs offer up their engines), but Brad explains the thinking: “For anyone who’s ever ridden an XS, they can tell you about the extraordinary vibration this motor throws at you.”

“The solid mounted XS race engines create a vibration so extreme, they actually make the bike a challenge to handle, and in the end will rob you of speed through cornering and straight acceleration. And all the while, you’re losing feeling in your hands going down the track.”

“This problem only gets worse when the XS engines are modified to create more horsepower which of course equals more vibrations. So much so, it’s very common for XS engines to literally shake the bike apart, even through your lock wire and gallons of Loctite.”

Norton’s Commando frame was praised in its day for its light weight and excellent handling. But it’s also known for its isolastic engine mounting system—which uses rubber mounts to effectively ‘float’ the motor inside the chassis, without bolting it directly to the frame.

It’s just the thing to rein in the unruly XS power plant. “Even the exhaust mounts allow the hand made exhaust to slide forward and backward as the revs go up and down,” explains Brad.

Getting the Yamaha engine to fit was quite a task though. It’s wider than the Norton mill, so it had to be relocated up and to the right, with a new rear mounting subframe, and modded front mounts that still make use of the isolastic system.

“Needless to say, the challenge of getting the engine to sit in the frame exactly right was important,” says Brad, “otherwise the Norton frame would crack with the aggressive nature of the XS engine. It took Toivo many years to find the sweet spot for the two things to get along.” Moving the engine forward helped sharpen up the handling too.

The chassis was revised further with a chromoly swing arm from CMR in Belleville, Ontario. Toivo installed a set of 38mm Yamaha FZR600 forks with emulators up front, and a pair of Works Performance shocks out back.

The fuel tank is a hand-made aluminum number from CMR, and the tail is a hand-made fiber glass item, based on an original Herb Becker mold. Toivo also added Vortex clip-ons, a Scitsu racing tachometer and custom-made rear sets.

There’s a dual disc brake setup on the front wheel, and a CanAm drum brake on the rear. The detail goes deep; a custom oil cooler, hand-made cables and one-off sprockets are just the tip of the iceberg.

Oh, and it’s not a ‘650’ any more—Toivo installed a 750cc kit from Mike’s XS a few years ago. In the last twelve months, he’s fettled it further with stainless steel valves, an upgraded cam, a Kibblewhite spring kit, and 38mm Mikuni carbs.

Nothing’s been left alone. The crank, ignition and billet clutch basket are all new, and the primary gear ratios have been revised too. Porting was handled by Tim Speigleburg.

“Toivo did ninety percent of the work in house, about 250 hours,” says Brad. “Not counting about 150 hours for each for the four earlier Yamandos that lead to this MK V.”

“Toivo always says, ‘If it was easy…everybody would do it!’”

We’re impressed. Who’d have thought that the spirit of the original Tritons would live on in the 21st century, and in such an unusual way?

]]>http://www.bikeexif.com/vintage-yamaha-race-bike/feed0Black Beauty: NCT’s wild custom BMW R100http://www.bikeexif.com/custom-bmw-motorcycle-nct
http://www.bikeexif.com/custom-bmw-motorcycle-nct#respondSat, 03 Dec 2016 17:01:21 +0000http://www.bikeexif.com/?p=25448
There’s a time for building practical, sensible bikes—and there’s a time for hanging loose. Like when you’re working on a shop bike, with no client or brief in sight.

The NCT crew of David Widmann, Kurt Kosjek and Manuel Tilke pulled no punches here. In their workshop in Feldkirchen, Austria, the crew stripped the old boxer right down to its nuts and bolts, before rebuilding it.

The engine’s had a serious refresh, with new pistons, cylinders and camshafts, and a new coat of paint. A quickshifter from KLS Motorsport is the cherry on the cake.

Gone is the airbox, replaced by a set of velocity stacks. NCT also welded up an elaborate exhaust system, complete with a custom-made expansion chamber and ending in a stubby Akrapovič muffler.

Kurt then tore into the wiring, re-doing everything with a Motogadget m-Unit and a Lithium-ion battery, hidden under the engine. He also installed a keyless ignition and an alarm system, for good measure.

NCT saw to the suspension too. There’s a new Öhlins shock out back, and a set of Showa upside-downs—borrowed from a Ducati 900 Super Sport—up front. They’re held in place by custom triple trees, and kitted with a pair of hand-made stanchion guards.

New Brembo brakes help the BMW stop a lot quicker. For tires, NCT picked out a set of dual-sport Heidenaus—which look aggressive, but offer a surprising amount of grip on the asphalt.

Up top, NCT liberated the Beemer of its subframe—fitting a solo cowhide seat instead. A neat rear fender hugs the wheel beneath it.

The riding position is cafe racer-esque, thanks to rear set controls and a pair of clip-on bars. The rest of the cockpit is tricked out with a recessed speedo—and switches—from Motogadget, and upgraded controls. An LED headlight lights the way.

Manuel added the final touch: black paint, with a distressed pinstripe, and the NCT logo, in gold. The frame and wheels went off for powder coating, with the wheels getting an extra hit of gold.

Sure, Black Stallion #28 is probably not going to win any ‘commuter of the year’ awards. And with no taillight or plate holder in sight, it’s probably not going to be popular with the fuzz either.

But what the hell. We’re hooked on those brawny looks and the compact, super-aggressive stance. NCT have a Gewinner!

]]>http://www.bikeexif.com/custom-bmw-motorcycle-nct/feed0A custom Yamaha XJR inspired by … the BMW R nineThttp://www.bikeexif.com/custom-yamaha-xjr-1200
http://www.bikeexif.com/custom-yamaha-xjr-1200#respondTue, 29 Nov 2016 17:01:48 +0000http://www.bikeexif.com/?p=25417
A half-chopped Yamaha, a head full of crazy ideas and a friendly wager: those were the ingredients for Jorge Rodrigues’ first build. And the results are pretty tasty.

Jorge is a director at a software firm in Portugal—but more importantly, he’s a motorcyclist who’s always wanted to build a custom bike. So he sourced a 1998 Yamaha XJR 1200 and got busy.

“The Yamaha XJR has one defining characteristic: its engine,” he says. “This build had to be done around the engine, it had to exude power and show it, shed a ton of weight, be comfortable enough to ride all day and have a classic look. The ‘BMW R nineT‘ that Yamaha could have built.”

Jorge now calls his bike the ‘Yamaha XJR9T’—but getting it there was no easy task.

“When I bought it last year, it was already partially converted to a cafe racer. But with cheap parts, bad electrics, and a very bad paint job,” he explains. “The only parts that are left from the ‘original’ bike are the engine, frame and swing arm. Everything else is new.”

Reinforcements were called in: Pedro Bacalhau from Lab Motorcycle, and Francisco Castro Ribeiro from RNM. Jorge would handle the design, order all the requisite parts, revamp the engine and carbs and handle final touches like cable routing. Lab were responsible for the paint, electrics, fabrication and assembly; and RNM tackled suspension, wheels and brakes.

Focusing on aesthetics, Jorge wanted a new fuel tank that would give the XJR 1200 a modern classic look—and accentuate the engine’s heft. A replica Benelli Mojave unit fit the bill, along with a Monza-style cap for an extra classic hit.

Jorge picked a black satin finish for the tank, with a gold pinstripe outlining areas of raw metal. Behind it is a brown leather seat, sitting on a revised subframe. A small front fender finishes off the bodywork.

“The bike should not only look good but also be a better, more sporty ride than the original XJR,” says Jorge. His first step was to put the big four on a serious diet, shedding nearly 40kg of unwanted baggage.

On went the forks and front brakes from a 2010 Suzuki GSX-R, clamped into a set of CNC machined triples brought in from the UK. The 17” wheels were borrowed from a Ducati 999.

Ditching the airbox saved some weight too, as did fitting a titanium exhaust system from Akrapovič. Between the new exhaust, K&N filters and Dynojet stage 3 kit, the guys have managed to squeeze an estimated twenty to thirty extra horses out of the XJR.

“After a little fine tuning it corners and drives much faster than the original,” Jorge confirms, “without losing the renowned smoothness of the XJR engine: any gear, any time.”

Special consideration went into the finishing kit too. The handlebars, risers and fluid reservoirs are from Rizoma, while the controls themselves are Brembo items. The grips, bar-end turn signals, switches and digital dash are all Motogadget parts.

The rear-sets are aluminum units, and the taillight is an LED, embedded into the frame’s rear loop. There are smaller details to admire too: like the license plate bracket, or the drilled parts scattered throughout the bike.

The build took a year to complete, with a number of twists along the way: “The adaptation of Ducati wheels to GSX-R suspension and XJR triple clamps was interesting, the rear brake a puzzle, the tank adaptation a challenge. There are dual fuel taps on the Mojave, but only one on the XJR; and the electrics required a total rebuild.”

“The biggest riding compromise comes from the much smaller size of the Mojave tank. It needs refueling every 140km!”

Jorge made a point of thanking Pedro and Francisco for their help. We’re just glad to see the right people come together to build something beautiful.

As for that wager we mentioned: “Last year I made a bet with a colleague from work that my first build would end up on Bike EXIF (we are both fans). Thus, here we are at the moment of truth.”

]]>http://www.bikeexif.com/custom-yamaha-xjr-1200/feed0Soothe the Savage: Herencia’s Upgraded Honda CBXhttp://www.bikeexif.com/honda-cbx-herencia
http://www.bikeexif.com/honda-cbx-herencia#respondMon, 28 Nov 2016 17:01:27 +0000http://www.bikeexif.com/?p=25399
Ah, the late 70s: a time when ‘superbikes’ were naked brutes, and more cylinders were the order of the day. And the Honda CBX is the poster child for that era.

Powered by a 1047cc inline six, the CBX punched out 105bhp. It was an insane figure back then, and still respectable by today’s standards. Except—like most muscle bikes of that era—the running gear couldn’t quite match the ferocious power plant.

German Karp and Federico Lozada were well aware of this when a 1979 CBX landed on their bench at Herencia Custom Garage in Argentina.

“We spoke with friends who had owned this bike back in the eighties,” explains Fede. “They told us about the great engine strength, but also how the frame flexes and how the small diameter forks didn’t work properly. Plus the lack of braking power on the front calipers.”

Herencia wanted to turn the old sportbike into a modernized street fighter. So they got their hands on the front and back ends of a Yamaha Fazer8, and set to work.

The Fazer forks, front wheel and brakes were grafted on up front, but the rear end proved to be the real challenge. “We had to cut the swingarm 16cm to respect the axle to axle measurements,” explains Fede, “and even though it made the bike look shorter, it is still the standard length.”

The guys also had to widen the rear of the frame to slot the new swingarm in, and build new suspension mounts for the monoshock setup—which is now height adjustable between two settings.

While on the frame, Fede and German cut off the original motor mounts, replacing them with custom CNC-machined brackets. And they added reinforcement to the rear end, to eliminate any flex.

With the bike now rolling, turning and stopping better, Herencia turned to the engine. On went six new Keihin CR carbs: “because the old ones were over thirty years old,” quips Fede.

That brutal, six-into-six exhaust is a stainless steel affair, and brought with it another set of challenges. “The route of the pipes forced us to relocate the side stand to the front of the bike, using the crash bar holes on the motor to fit the new side stand,” explains Fede.

“Not an easy task—but the exhaust system was one of the few things that the customer of the bike was very specific about.”

Next up, the electrics were simplified and treated to a lighter Lithium-ion battery from Antigravity. The bike now powers up via an aircraft-style on/off button on the oil cooler mount, and starts via a push-button on the left side cover. Everything else is handled by mini-switches on the bars.

Herencia kept the original bodywork—but tweaked it. The tank’s got the cap and vent from a smashed Honda VFR400. And the tail’s been shortened and capped off with a custom-made leather seat.

Even the big, square taillight is still present. The headlight arrangement’s new though—an aluminum shroud powered by twelve LEDs. Yes, it’s a little futuristic, but we love the way it complements the CBX’s muscular stance.

Tucked behind it is a Koso speedo, and a set of ProTaper clamps, bars and grips. The hand and foot controls were borrowed from the Fazer too, with the latter attached via custom linkages.

Herencia have seen to every little detail, like adding a discreet Lexan shield in front of the rear tire, or machining a one-off rear chain ring to fit the Fazer wheel.

But it’s the use of the original bodywork that gets us—and that show-stopping red and gold finish. Factor in the Michelin Pilot Road tires, and you’ve got us pining for a quick spin.

]]>http://www.bikeexif.com/honda-cbx-herencia/feed0Double Trouble: Two new CB750 builds From Hookie Co.http://www.bikeexif.com/cb750-cafe-racer-build
http://www.bikeexif.com/cb750-cafe-racer-build#respondFri, 25 Nov 2016 17:01:51 +0000http://www.bikeexif.com/?p=25377
If there’s one bike that’s more prolific than the classic BMW boxer, it’s the Honda CB750. We’ve seen so many custom CBs we’re almost immune to their charms.

But these two new builds from Hookie Co. have just jolted us from our slumber. Sure, they’re not the first CBs to sport Firestones and ditch their fenders. But they’re super sharp, well balanced and loaded with tasty details.

Hookie Co. is based in Dresden, Germany, and built the two Hondas for different clients. The black one (top) belongs to Ilya, who owns a fashion distribution company in Berlin. The silver one (above) belongs to Jeanne Pierre, founder of Dortmund auto tuning house, JP Performance.

Though the bikes were built to different briefs, they share many similarities. Both are based on 1981 Honda CB750 K(Z)s, and both have had their engines refreshed during the respective builds.

On both bikes, the forks have been lowered by three inches with custom spacers, and the rear shocks have been upgraded to more modern units (YSS Eco Lines on the silver bike). Stainless steel brake lines up front add a touch more bite, along with new master cylinders from Nissin on the black bike and Kustom Tech on the silver machine.

Hookie Co. also cleaned up and abbreviated both frames, creating a unique tail unit for each. The black seat is wrapped in leather, while the silver CB750 has Alcantara. Both tails end with neatly integrated, ultra discreet LED lights.

To tidy up the area under each seat, Hookie Co. ditched the airbox and relocated the battery. Each bike’s had its wiring simplified too, and has been treated to a smattering of Motogadget parts—including new switches and bar end turn signals.

The silver CB750 also gets a neat rear view mirror—cleverly mounted to the headlight bracket. Both cockpits are equipped with clip-ons, Biltwell Inc. grips and tiny speedos.

The black CB750 has had its ignition system moved out of sight, and the silver bike switches on via a keyless RFID system.

As for the color schemes, Hookie Co. finished the silver tank in raw steel, with hand-done pinstripes. But Ilya has a black Land Rover Defender at home—so his bike’s been painted to match.

Four-into-one exhaust systems add an appropriate soundtrack. The muffler on the black bike is custom-made, but a Sebring system is fitted to the silver bike.

We’ll admit that many of the elements at play follow tried and tested formulas. But Hookie Co. has put them all together in a way that has us loving the CB750 again.